Newbie kindling ? - First time doe with one kit so far

[sashakaran]

Hi there

I'm a newbie to rabbits, and my Am Chin doe is a first timer herself. This morning I walked out to find one lonely kit on the wire, in front of her. She was nudging it and I took it out of the cage to warm it up. The thing was squeaking within the hour and so I brought it out to try and nurse on momma. I flipped the doe over and the little baby went to town, so I felt comfortable putting it back in the nestbox. I noticed that mommma still has kits inside her! I felt them kicking! I felt her vulvar area to see if maybe there was a kit stuck, and nothing felt odd...

Is it normal that she had this one kit so early to the others? What is a usual timeline for the kindling process? With my Cali doe, she would kindle her whole litter within an hour!

(btw, I tossed a ton of orchard grass in the cage, all over the floor, so if any kits are born "on the wire" they won't be so chilled until I get there..?)

Well I have to head out to buy more pellets... but I've got my *fingers crossed*

 

[MamaMandy]

Hopefully her nursing the one baby will stimulate contractions and she'll have the rest shortly. Keep us all posted!

 

[AmysMacdog]

Hoping that all works out well. opcorn:

 

[sashakaran]

Thanks!! I didn't know it, but I guess flipping her to have the single kit nurse was a good thing

She had 8 more rather large kits this afternoon that look extremely well fed... almost too big! She's been a fantastic mother so far, and it looks like she's plucked all the fur from her body! I've brought them inside in their nest box, and I'll be taking them out to momma in the morning for another feeding. I don't want to lose these guys like my other litters! And they look so vibrant and healthy



(btw, the lonely kit from this morning died at 5pm... his back legs looked pretty badly bruised, and he wasn't using them correctly, he was a whole half ounce less than the others too)

Anyone think this belly looks too full?

 

[jollysrabbits]

nope they look nice and healthy to me! They are biguns though! That or you have midget hands lol jk

 

[AmysMacdog]

Yay! Pretty babies! :congratulations:

 

[Dood]

Fantastic!!!

8 kits and a ton of milk, who could ask for anything more.

That kit with the '111' on him in the group picture looks like he's about to burst!

Just out of curiosity, what colour/breed was the dad?

 

[sashakaran]

Mom is American Chinchilla, Dad(s) are American Chinchilla and a broken castor Standard Rex...

I'm sure I'm being unorthodox by having the doe bred by two different dads, but I wasn't sure of the amchin buck's fertility (as he is still young, and never used before). I put the doe in with the am chin buck, then 8 hours later again with the amchin buck, followed immediately by the rex buck. The last time the amchin doe was bred, she had a false pregnancy, and I wanted her to fertilize as many eggs as possible, to decrease the average kit size-- hoping that I wouldn't have any birthing problems! So grateful I didn't...

I do have small hands! But III in that picture is actually one of the smallest..! He's in at 2.3oz, whereas the largest in the litter was 3.0 (after their first meal...)

BTW is it correct for me to assume that the black otter marked babies in this litter are sired by the Rex, and the pink babies are full amchin? I have seen a difference in weight gain just in the past two days of the pinks versus the blacks-- and I'm guessing this is hybrid vigor?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

:welcomewagon:

Hi Sashakaran! Welcome to RT!

I was at a show in Bakersfield Saturday, so missed this thread. Its nice to have another Californian aboard.

Congratulations on the litter! They look wonderful and your doe made a great nest.

I'm not sure of the answer to your question- I am not familiar with Am. Chins, so don't know what color they are when born.

I breed Rex primarily. Any chance you are in Central or Southern California? We need more Rex exhibitors at the shows!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I think the grey babies are the Am Chin ones.... and congrats! What a great looking nest of popples!

 

[Dood]

the pink babies are full amchin

I would say no. I breed Am Chins and I have never had a pink kit, they have a distinct greyish shade to them and pink bellies.

I would say those pink ones will be REW or Cali marked.